This afternoon as I was mixing and baking up some Patriotic Sugar Cookies, I was listening to KTIS on the radio. (It makes me feel warm and fuzzy, especially the weather and traffic reports. I still recognize all those place names versus the ones mentioned on German radio.) A song came on, and I thought I heard the following line: "... the lie that I am someone worth dying for."
Interesting, I thought, and began pondering what they might mean by that when the chorus came on again, and I realized I'd understood it wrong. The actual line was "Jesus, help me believe that I am someone worth dying for."
I guess I can see what the songwriter is trying to say. Earlier lyrics state, "Am I more than flesh and bone? Am I really something beautiful? ... I'm not just some wandering soul," and I wouldn't even disagree with any of those questions or that statement. I believe Christ's death on the cross carries the underlying message that as humans we are valuable, that we are more than skin over skeleton. I trust that even if I had been the only sinner on earth, God still would have sent his only Son to take my place because that's who He is. And in his working, that gives me worth.
However, asking Jesus to help me believe I am someone worth dying for still strikes me as completely backwards because the truth is: I'm not. I never have been and I never will be. Take me just as I am, and I don't deserve to have anyone lay his life on the line for me, much less the Son of God. I'm beyond unworthy to have him die for me, but he did it anyway. And now it's only because he dares to say I have any worth, only because he speaks those words, that I do. The order of things is crucial here. Not 1. I'm worthy and therefore 2. Christ died, but rather 1. Christ died thereby 2. making me worthy.
My intention is not to criticize this song. I just wanted to say that I almost like my first misunderstanding of it better. "Save me from the lie that I'm someone worth dying for, but remind me of the sacrifice of your Son and the worth this gives me."
3 comments:
I like the first version too. "And this is love, not that we loved God, but that HE loved US and gave himself as an atoning sacrifice." "and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
LOVE this, dear! So. True. What a gracious God! :) Thanks.
VERY TRUE. I like your version better. I'm not worth it. Only He gives me my worth!
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